5 of 6The interior features comfortable seats which have both heating and cooling adjustments as well as a massage feature.

Photo by Bentley

6 of 6Under the hood, the Bentley sports a 6.0-liter DOHC twin-turbocharged W12 capable of producing 616-hp and 590 lb-ft of torque.

Photo by Bentley

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: This 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed convertible is the most expensive car I've ever driven for an extended period of time. I enjoyed the heck out of it, but there are several cars I would spend my house-sized pile of money on first. There were some fun moments, though.

The good times included finding a VIP parking spot right in front of the trendy pizza place in my neighborhood. After dinner we were talking outside and relaxing with a crowd, and then I jumped in the big beast unannounced, to the confused look of the group. Or showing the heavy metal key to a friend's brother-in-law, making him ask incredulously, “Did you buy it?!” Ha.

I like the Bentley Continental GT coupe on its own merits. Disregarding the price, I love the shape of the sheetmetal, the blinged-out grille, twin headlights and general cat-like appearance with the fastback. It looks like a rapper or basketball player should be driving. The Continental can accommodate them because the front seats slide so far back , a 7-footer could probably slide behind the wheel.

I'm not a fan, however, of the convertible. The lines of the coupe's roof make the GT look badass, the cloth top makes it look like a glorified -- sorry, Bentley -- Chrysler Sebring.

But, from the driver's seat, you don't notice any of that. All you can feel is the comfort of the seats, which, with massage, heating, cooling and adjustments, can cradle you in any way imaginable. I'm sorry I only noticed the shiatsu at the end of my weekend.

The steering wheel is thick and feels hefty in the hands, though it is easy to steer at slow speeds. The paddle shifters work quickly as long as you're on the throttle; they're a little lazier when cruising. I did grab the turn signal and windshield wiper stalk a few times on accident, understandable since they are placed right below. I think they're a little too close. The wheel song skip dial is super hard to be precise with; I just ended up switching to AM or skipping nine songs at once.

On that same note, the radio wasn't even close to where it needed to be. It hesitated too much when switching functions or stations, and there's no easy way to control it. You'd think Bentley could take a page from Audi's playbook. It was, of course, loud and the sound quality is great from the Naim system. The rearview camera also worked great.

It took me a few minutes, but I got my phone hooked up through Bluetooth, and could play all of my audio files wirelessly.

Alright, the Bentley Continental GT Speed convertible's piece de resistance is its Earth-moving W12 engine. This flying brick shoots out of the box like a cannonball, mowing down small bumps in its way. It does jiggle a bit on the bigger ones.

It's kind of disconcerting, to be in something so big, taking off so fast. Obviously going from 0-40 mph or 80-120 mph makes no difference; it's the same amount of “fast.” The W12 engine makes a decent noise when it's doing it, too. In sport mode the exhaust gets louder, the throttle gets more sensitive and the suspension tightens up as well. It feels stiff and sporty, but still leans in corners. The brakes are rock solid, hauling this bruiser down to a legal speed with a medium-sized foot plant on the metal-accented pedal.

It was fun to roll this car for the weekend, despite not being able to drop the top because of the weather, but give me a triple black, GT Speed coupe and I'll show you a car that beats some of the best in the world.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: I was grabbing some groceries in the Bentley Continental GT Speed convertible and someone complimented me in the parking lot. “Nice car,” he said.

As the words left my mouth I realized that I had just made a total butt of myself to a complete stranger. To my knowledge I've never met a newer Bentley owner but I hope they'd be a little less blasé when someone passes them a compliment. Bentley owners of the world, sorry for making you guys look like jerks.

But the worst thing: I wasn't even correct. Yes, the Continental GT Speed hardtop is the fastest production Bentley to date. Its top speed is 204 mph. But this was the convertible, and apparently Bentley engineers decided that driving more than 202 mph with the top down will rip hair follicles from your head and detune the drop-top ever so slightly. Consequently, it is 0.98 percent slower.

I did not go that fast with the top down (or up). I didn't even manage half the rated speed, and the top remained up due to rain. But unless the 5,500-pound car lightens up considerably at speed, I don't think it will feel any less like an all-wheel drive locomotive when (if) you exceed the double-century mark.

Thank the massive W12 for that. It goes without saying that it supplies more than enough everything to propel the car -- you could drop four cylinders and still achieve similar velocities, as the V8-powered Continental very ably demonstrates. But match the big 6.0-liter's massive horsepower and torque reserves with the vehicle's heft and plush interior -- one of the nicest and most tastefully appointed cockpits I've ever sat in, and one that reminds me about how much richer the world would be if more car companies embraced engine turning -- and the result is not anything that could be called a sports car.

Oh, turn the suspension to “sport” mode and you can actually feel the road beneath you: Change the settings via a digital slider on the central touchscreen and the results are immediately noticeable. And again, that theoretical top speed…

But as much as this is a car is a Bentley to drive rather than a Bentley to be driven in, it's still a comfy grand tourer rather than something that will force your eyeballs back in your sockets. And there's absolutely no problem with that.

Here's what I don't like: the exterior. The sheet metal is getting old and, dare I say it, stale. Make a car for 10 years (especially if it's a car that has outsold all other models your marquee has produced over the course of its existence, combined), and maybe it's time to consider a substantial style update. However, I clearly hold a minority opinion where styling is concerned, as a quick glance at Bentley sales will show.

Contra Jake, I do not appreciate all the bling. And there's tons of it, from the wheels to the grille to the random bits of brightwork.

This is a remarkable, and, from what I could tell, remarkably crafted, machine. With $283,150 to burn, you could buy any number of restrained luxury tourers or, alternatively, select from a pretty decent list of crazy supercars. The Continental GT Speed convertible would seem to be one of the least objectionable ways to split the difference. Just don't be a jerk if someone says nice things about it, OK?